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Budget Battle

A potentially crippling U.S. debt default was averted as Congress passed legislation to end a political showdown that had rattled financial markets, splintered the Republican Party and showcased Washington dysfunction.

Sen. Cruz’s Remarks on Senate Deal

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas made comments to reporters after senators reached a deal to end the government shutdown and lift the debt ceiling. The transcript was provided by Federal News Service.

SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX): Unfortunately, once again, it appears the Washington establishment is refusing to listen to the American people. The deal that has been cut provides no relief to the millions of Americans who are hurting because of “Obamacare.” The deal that has been cut provides no relief to all the young people coming out of school who can’t find a job because of “Obamacare.” It provides no relief to all the single parents who have been forced into part-time work, struggling to feed their kids on 29 hours a week. It provides no relief to all the hard-working families who are facing skyrocketing health insurance premiums. And it provides no relief to all the seniors, to all the people with disabilities who are right now getting in the mail notifications from their health insurance companies that they’re losing their health insurance because of “Obamacare.”

It is unfortunate that Washington is not listening to the people.
And I want to commend the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has taken a bold stance listening to the American people. But unfortunately, the United States Senate has refused to do likewise. The United States Senate has stayed with the traditional approach of the Washington establishment of maintaining the status quo and doing nothing to respond to the suffering that “Obamacare” is causing millions of Americans.

This is unfortunate, but nobody should be surprised that the Washington establishment is pushing back. Nobody should be surprised at the resistance to change. Let me say the American people in the last few months have risen up in overwhelming numbers. We’ve seen millions of Americans all over this country working to change Washington. That has been incredible progress.

And this fight, this debate will continue until collectively the American people can make D.C. listen, can get real relief for all of the people who are hurt because of “Obamacare.”

You want to know what this fight is about? It’s about one thing. It is about all of the people across this country who are right now facing terrifying decisions because they’re losing their health care, they’re losing their jobs, they’re being left in the cold, and sadly, the United States Senate has said Washington will do nothing.

It has created the problems you’re facing, but Washington will do nothing to address the suffering you’re feeling. That is unfortunate, but this debate and this fight will continue in the months ahead.

Q: Senator, a two-part question here. Number one, will you filibuster?

SEN. CRUZ: What’s the second part?

Q: The second part is if you’re not going to filibuster, will you take a significant amount of time that is not a true filibuster to punt this into tomorrow?

SEN. CRUZ: There have been many questions about the timing of this vote. The timing of this vote, it is my understanding from leadership, is likely to occur today. I have no objections to the timing of this vote, and the reason is simple. There’s nothing to be gained from delaying this vote one day or two days, the outcome will be same.

Every Senator, every member of the House is going to have to make a decision where he or she stands, but there’s no benefit — I’ve never had any intention of delaying the timing of this vote, and indeed, I thought it was interesting reading in the papers that much speculation about whether we might delay the timing of the vote, Republican leadership never asked if I intended to delay the timing of the vote.

My focus is on the substance. My focus is, I think, where the American people’s focus is, which is what are we doing to provide real relief to the people who are hurting because of “Obamacare.” And unfortunately, today, the answer is the United States Senate and the Washington establishment is doing nothing to provide relief for the millions of people who are hurting because of “Obamacare.”

Q: Senator, I’d like to talk to you about where we are right now. As you well know, you have a lot of fellow Republicans really downright angry at you because here we are almost three weeks later, the strategy that you started out on, to defund “Obamacare,” as part of funding the government they never felt was going to work because the votes aren’t there.
And here we are reopening the government after a lot of bruising political warfare internally, and you’ve got nothing for it.

SEN. CRUZ: Well, Dana (sp), respectfully, I disagree with the premise of that. I think we have seen a remarkable thing happen. Months ago, when the — when the effort to defund “Obamacare” began, official Washington scoffed — they scoffed that the American people would rise up. They scoffed that the House of Representatives would do anything, and they scoffed that the Senate would do anything.

We saw, first of all, millions upon millions of Americans rise up all over this country. Over two million people signing a national petition to defund “Obamacare.” We saw the House of Representatives take a courageous stand listening to the American people, that everyone in official Washington just weeks earlier said would never happen. That was a remarkable victory, to see the House engage in a profile in courage.

Unfortunately, the Senate chose not to follow the House. And in particular, we saw real division among Senate Republicans. That was unfortunate. I would point out that had Senate Republicans united and supported House Republicans, the outcome of this, I believe, would have been very, very different. I wish that had happened, but it did not.

But it does give a path going forward, that if the American people continue to rise up, I believe the House will continue to listen to the American people, and I hope, in time, the Senate begins to listen to the American people also, because, look, lots of people in Washington love to focus on the politics. It is, unfortunately, the game of this town. But what matters more than any politicians in Washington is all of the people across this country who are hurting right now, who are getting in the mail a notification that the health care they’re relying on for their care, for their parents’ care, for their childrens’ care, that it’s being canceled because of “Obamacare.”
President Obama promised the American people “Obamacare” would lower your health insurance premiums. I would venture to say virtually every person across this country has seen exactly the opposite happen, has seen premiums going up and up and up, and everyone who clicks on “Obamacare” and sees the premiums sees the premiums going up and up and up. President Obama promised the American people, if you like your health insurance, you can keep it. We now know that statement was flat-out, categorically false.

People all over this country are losing their health insurance. Fifteen thousand UPS employees got a notification in the mail that they were losing spousal coverage, that their husbands and wives were all losing the health insurance that they wanted and they liked. That is happening all over the country. It’s wrong.

And the focus in my view should not be on the politics of Washington. The politics of Washington at the end of the day doesn’t matter. What the focus should be is on making Washington, D.C., listen to the American people and respond to the very real harms that “Obamacare” is causing to millions of people.